The ancestors of the Stjeind family arrived in England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Stjeind came from the saint bearing the ancient given name John. It is possible that individual cases may derive from the original bearer's residence in one of several places called St. Jean in Normandy that take their names from the same source. Stjeind is a classic example of an English polygenetic surname, which is a surname that was developed in a number of different locations and adopted by various families independently.

Stjeind Early Origins

The surname Stjeind was first found in Oxfordshire where the family claim descent "from the great Domesday Baron Adam de Port, [who] took the name St John in the XII century on his marriage with the heiress of the powerful Norman family, so called." [1]CITATION[CLOSE]Lowe, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print. Stanton St. John in the union of Headington in Oxfordshire was home to the family. "This place takes the adjunct to its name from the family of St. John, who held the manor in the reign of Edward III." [2]CITATION[CLOSE]Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.

Another branch of the family was found at Warnford in Southampton. "The manor, in the reign of William I., belonged to Hugh de Port, whose descendant, William, assumed the name of his maternal grandmother, St. John: the old manor-house, near the church, is now a ruin called King John's, by corruption of the family name." [2]CITATION[CLOSE]Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.

In the 17th century, "the family of St. John had a venerable mansion [in Battersea, Surrey], which was the favourite resort of Pope, who, when visiting his friend Lord Bolingbroke, usually selected as his study, in which he is said to have composed some of his celebrated works, a parlour wainscoted with cedar, overlooking the Thames." [2]CITATION[CLOSE]Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.

Another branch of the family was found at Liddiard-Tregooze in Wiltshire. "This place has from the time of the Conquest been the property of the family of St. John, whose mansion and park are near the church." [2]CITATION[CLOSE]Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.

Stjeind Spelling Variations

Stjeind Spelling Variations

Multitudes of spelling variations are a hallmark of Anglo Norman names. Most of these names evolved in the 11th and 12th century, in the time after the Normans introduced their own Norman French language into a country where Old and Middle English had no spelling rules and the languages of the court were French and Latin. To make matters worse, medieval scribes spelled words according to sound, so names frequently appeared differently in the various documents in which they were recorded. The name was spelled St. John, St. Jean, Singen and others.

Stjeind Early History

Stjeind Early History

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Stjeind research. Another 335 words (24 lines of text) covering the years 1096, 1085, 1582, 1596, 1540, 1618, 1598, 1673, 1640, 1653, 1634, 1711, 1663, 1685, 1678, 1751, 1749 and 1714 are included under the topic Early Stjeind History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stjeind Early Notables (pre 1700)

Stjeind Early Notables (pre 1700)

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Oliver St John of Bletsoe, 1st Baron St John of Bletso (died 1582), an English peer, High Sheriff of Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire; John St John, 2nd Baron St John of Bletso (d. 1596); Oliver St John, 3rd Baron St John of Bletso (c...

Another 113 words (8 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Stjeind Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Stjeind In Ireland

Stjeind In Ireland

Some of the Stjeind family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. Another 47 words (3 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

The Great Migration

The Great Migration

Because of this political and religious unrest within English society, many people decided to immigrate to the colonies. Families left for Ireland, North America, and Australia in enormous numbers, traveling at high cost in extremely inhospitable conditions. The New World in particular was a desirable destination, but the long voyage caused many to arrive sick and starving. Those who made it, though, were welcomed by opportunities far greater than they had known at home in England. Many of these families went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Analysis of immigration records indicates that some of the first North American immigrants bore the name Stjeind or a variant listed above: Alpheus Spencer St. John who settled in Canada in 1835; John St. John who settled in Virginia in 1654; Thomas St. John who settled in Philadelphia in 1820.

Motto

Motto

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

The Stjeind Family Crest was acquired from the Houseofnames.com archives. The Stjeind Family Crest was drawn according to heraldic standards based on published blazons. We generally include the oldest published family crest once associated with each surname.